PosterPerronTomaCultivaSemiClosed CA

OPTIMISING FRUIT LOAD AND STEM
DENSITY OF ORGANIC TOMATO GROWN
UNDER A SEMI-CLOSED GREENHOUSE
1CENTRE
DE RECHERCHE ET D’INNOVATION SUR LES VÉGÉTAUX, DEPT. OF PLANT SCIENCE, LAVAL UNIVERSITY, QUEBEC, QC,
CANADA, G1V 0A6 BEATRICE.PERRON.1@ULAVAL.CA
2CENTRE DE RECHERCHE ET D’INNOVATION SUR LES VÉGÉTAUX, DEPT. OF SOIL AND AGRI-FOOD ENGINEERING, LAVAL
UNIVERSITY, QUEBEC, QC, CANADA, G1V 0A6 DAMIEN.DE.HALLEUX@FSAA.ULAVAL.CA
3LES SERRES JARDIN-NATURE, NEW RICHMOND, QC, CANADA, G0C 2B0 FBELANGER@JARDINSNATURE.CA
4AGRICULTURE AND AGRI-FOOD CANADA, PACIFIC AGRI-FOOD RESEARCH CENTRE, AGASSIZ, CANADA, V0M 1A0
MARTINE.DORAIS@AGR.GC.CA
↑ Greenhouse microclimate : ↑ Productivity
Development of new systems: closed and semi-closed greenhouses
↑ Climate control (temperature, humidity, CO2) using geothermal systems to ensure cooling
and/or heating (Nederhoff et al., 2010); ↓ Rate of CO2 supply (Opdam, 2005)
Heuvelink et al. (2007) suggested that the density could be increased by at least 17% in a
closed greenhouse
No study has previously focused on stem density and fruit load control in semi-closed
greenhouse.
Compare density and fruit load treatments in a semi-closed greenhouse context
by analysing yield, fruit size, crop growth, climate parameters and fruit quality.
Two semi-closed double polyethylene 225 m2 compartments (R2 and R3) located at Les
Serres Jardins-Nature, Qc, Canada (48.15°N, 65.84°W)
Cooled using water from the water table (12°C) which was directed in a heat exchanger
Polyethylene tubes located above the canopy to ensure the airflow
2015 growing season (January-October)
Three stem density treatments (3.0, 3.3 and 3.6 plants/m2) in R2
Three fruit load treatments (70, 85 and 90 fruits per m2) in R3
Climate monitoring, crop growth, yield, fruit size and fruit quality
Cooling capacity R2 > R3
24h T°C, day T°C, relative humidity higher in R3 compartment (lower cooling capacity)
CO2 concentration was 46 µL L-1 higher in the R2 than in R3 compartment
Table 1. Climate parameters for the two semi-closed compartments
for 2015 growing season.
Table 4. Air CO2 concentration and injected CO2 in the two semiclosed compartments for 2015 growing season.
Compartment
R2
R3
CO2
-1
CO2 injected
2
(µL L )
(g/m )
681 ± 138 (⬆7%) 97 ± 41 (⬇13%)
635 ± 136
111 ± 43
For the density treatments in R2, both week yield and cumulative yield were higher at
density 3.0 plants/m² than at 3.3 or 3.6 plants/m²
In the R3 compartment, it was the lowest fruit load that presented the highest yield and
fruit size. This is consistent with the dry matter results, where the percentage of dry matter
was decreasing with the increase of the fruit load as showed in Fig. 1.
Table 2.Production results in terms of fruit yield and
fruit size for 2015 growing season in two semiclosed compartments
Fig. 1. Percentage of dry matter for
the three fruit load treatments
for August 2015 harvest
Growth parameters as plant stem elongation, stem diameter, and
apex-flower cluster distance were higher in R3 than in R2
compartment (3.6 plant/m² and fruit load
between 70-90
fruit/plant depending on the treatment)
Table 3. Growth parameters for the six treatments
means for 2015 growing season in two semi-closed
compartments(D= stem density; C= fruit load)
Climate and CO2 differences: different system efficiencies
Lowest fruit density treatment in R2 and lowest fruit load
treatment in R3 both showed the best agronomic
performance
Semi-closed systems improved with a heat pump (night
temperature/humidity control)
Higher yield was achieved under semi-closed greenhouse
growing conditions as compared to the commercial yield
performance
Soil
Soilless organic growing system (Verticillium)
•Heuvelink, E., M. Bakker, L.F.M. Marcelis, and M. Raaphorst. 2007. Climate and Yield in a
Closed Greenhouse. Acta Horticulturae. 801: 1083–1092.
•Nederhoff, E., A. de Gelder, A. Dieleman, J. Janse. Future Proofing [online]. Practical
Hydroponics and Greenhouses, No. 113, Jul/Aug 2010: 47-55.
Availability: <http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=265837582554760;res=IE
LHSS>ISSN: 1321-8727 [cited 29 Oct 15].
•Opdam, J.J.G., G.G. Schoonderbeek, and E.M.B. Heller. 2005. Closed Greenhouse : a Starting
Point for Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Horticulture. Acta Horticulturae. 691: 517–524.
This research is funded by the Canadian Organic Science Cluster which is funded by the
Canadian Initiative on Canadian Agri-Science Clusters, the Growing Forward Policy
Framework for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and its industry partners. Thanks to
Serres Jardins-Nature, Réjean Bacon and Claudine Ménard for technical advice.